


The mind has a thousand eyes, And the heart but one

by Fallenangel_Winchester



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Character Death, Feelings Realization, I'm Sorry, Inspired by Poetry, Love Confessions, M/M, Oblivious Tony Stark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-17
Updated: 2019-01-17
Packaged: 2019-10-11 21:48:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17454860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fallenangel_Winchester/pseuds/Fallenangel_Winchester
Summary: Sometimes you need to lose someone to realize how much you love them...





	The mind has a thousand eyes, And the heart but one

When another book almost smacked his face, he grumbled and decided to take a break.

It appeared that the library didn't like him, now that its favorite sorcerer was gone.

“You miss him, don't you ?” he whispered at the shelves.

To be honest that was the reason why he was there too. 

Stephen went to another dimension and still hadn't returned much to Wong's surprise and Tony's worry.

He was patient for a week and a half, before he burst through the Sanctum's door, determined not to leave before he got answers.

Wong took one look at his stubborn face and let him in.

That was more than a week ago.

A week spent haunting the rooms, trying to shake the nightmares away, refusing to believe that he would never see his friend again and somehow ending up in the library.

He took one of the fallen books and carelessly placed it on one of the shelves.

 

_ Careful! Those are one of a kind Stark.  _

_ I'm one of a kind too, you know. _

_ Then maybe we should put you in a museum. _

_ Fine, you won this time. I'll leave your precious books alone. _

 

Stephen's amused chuckle echoed in his head reminding him that he was alone.

Somehow, sometime after Thanos was defeated, the sorcerer became an irreplaceable part of Tony's life.

That's why he refused to stand back even though he was as bad as Steve with movie references when it came to magic.

Despite all that, Tony could swear that if he closed his eyes he could feel the sorcerer's lingering presence everywhere. 

It gave him hope that the equally stubborn man will find a way to come back, so he kept doing whatever he could to help Wong.

 

_ There's energy everywhere Tony. _

_ What? Don't tell me that the walls are talking ? That would be creepy. _

_ Well next time you try to find your way around ask the walls, I'm sure they'd love to help an ignorant person like you. _

_ Hey! I just don't get magic. _

_ Not always seeing is believing Tony. _

_ I can't believe in anything while this hungry, so... lunch? _

_ Sure, if you can find your way out. _

_ Honey, I love a challenge. _

 

Another memory passed in front of his eyes and he rubbed them in frustration before he went to get himself a cup of coffee. 

Sleep was for the weak.

 

_ Don't even think about touching anything, my room is out of limits too. _

_ Awww, you're worried that I'll see something I shouldn't. Don't worry Dumbledore, I don't judge. _

_ Actually I'm more worried about the relics, the poor things can't handle the clumsiness of the great Tony Stark. _

_ You're truly something Mr. Strange. _

_ Doctor Strange and you're still not allowed to touch anything important. _

 

After a particularly bad nightmare, Tony's feet led him towards Stephen's room and he stood there contemplating what to do. In the end his tired body and the need for comfort he rarely let out, won and he went in.

He spent the night sleeping in the sorcerer's bed, surrounded by the soothing scent of magic, feeling safe and warm for the first time since Titan.

At the morning he didn't dare to think how he ended up there, let alone to try to make sense of his feelings. 

Nothing mattered but for his friend to come back in one piece.

 

It took him a few nights to notice the books on the bedside table and to pick them up. He even chuckled at his reluctance to touch, for a moment imagining the cloak's ends trying to slap his hands away. 

 

Poetry...Stephen liked poetry.

The serious sorcerer, who was as good at hiding his true feelings as Tony was, read poetry books.

Surprisingly, but it kinda fit his personality. Together with the annoying smirks when he was right, the soft smiles when he discovered something interesting, the twinkle in his eyes whenever Tony did something decent and the rare genuine chuckles that made him look better than he had any right to be. 

 

_ Did the grumpy wizard chuckle at my stupid joke?  _

_ Nope. _

_ Yes, you did. I saw it. _

_ No I didn't. _

_ I don't care, I got my proof and I'm not going to let it go. _

_ Proof of what ? _

_ That I'm so amazing, I can make anyone laugh, including you. _

_ You wish. _

_ One of these days Gandalf, one of these days. _

 

As always he couldn't resist the chance to find out more about Stephen who had become something of a grounding presence in his life and probably the only one who didn't tiptoe around him, but faced him with sharp words and sassy truth.

It was a normal looking thin book with black covers that showed signs of a constant use.

With gentle fingers he opened it, his mind immediately focusing on the pages, a feeling of peace washing over him as he started reading. 

Pretty quick he got so observed in the poetry that he almost didn't notice the extra two pages at the end of it.

There he paused for no rational reason than his suddenly increased heartbeat at the gravity of what he was about to discover.

Of course it could be only a note with favorite poems, or a spell or something equally ordinary and that thought should have stopped him, but it didn't.

 

When he finished reading it, he was gaping at the scrawl, rereading it a couple of time before his genius mind solved the puzzle, causing his breath to hitch.

 

Despite the simplicity of the poem and the unexpected depth of the notes, he could clearly see that the initials T.S were referring to him.

It was as close to a confession without sounding too cheesy and as short as Stephen's fake pretence that he didn't enjoy their time together.

 

_ 'Yet the light of the bright world dies _

_ With the dying sun.' _

 

Tony closed his eyes when a wave of panic flooded him, the words were imprinted on his mind, burning through his thoughts, painfully aware of his inner desperation to believe them and lock them inside of his heart in case he was trapped in a cruel dream.

 

He wasn't romantic, but even he sometimes needed words that can warm up his insides no matter how silly they were.

But Stephen...that fascinating man who came as close to a kindred spirit as anyone could ever come, compared Tony with the freaking sun.

 

_ Eyes as warm and bright as the sun _

 

He wasn't warm or bright or anything like that, he was broken, anxious, sometimes annoyingly enthusiastic and more than a little reckless with the ability to attach himself far too easily.

If he dug deep enough, shut down every insecurity and allowed his feelings to take over he could admit that it was the other way around.

Stephen was the crazy man who followed Tony's plan on Titan, the one who sacrificed the soul stone because he believed that the genius could save them all and the same one whose eyes shone with hope and sadness before he faded away.

He was the light that chased Tony's nightmares away, the generous soul who gave both him and Peter time of his busy days just so they could get reassured that the world was alright and the badass wizard who came to help when least expected.

 

His fingertips gently ran over Stephen's written words as a fierce determination rushed through his veins. But before he could even let himself think about more than friendship, he had to find and bring the sorcerer back.

 

Barely a day had passed when something happened. 

Tony was flipping through a very old tome when he heard the familiar sizzling sound of an open portal. Without raising his head he spoke,

“Back so soon Gandalf ? I think I found something... I swear it might be useful this time...” but when he got no answer except for the sound of heavy footsteps he lifted his eyes from the book and jumped at his feet at the sight in front of him.

Stephen was there, barely holding himself upright, Tony let his instincts take over and rushed forward to help his friend. 

The moment he wrapped his arms around the sorcerer's shoulders he leaned into the touch and Tony took a good look at him, secretly searching for injuries.

His heart painfully clenched in his chest when his gaze fell on the frighteningly pale face, unusually shaky hands and unsteady step.

Not to mention how close he looked to lose consciousness, his sharp eyes almost closed as he took ragged breaths.

“Stephen...stay with me. Come on Dumbledore. Open those stormy eyes.”

Slowly they sat on the floor, their backs against a bookshelf as Tony quelled his panic and said,

“You stay here, I'll find Wong. He'll know what to do.”

But he couldn't leave, not when Stephen was holding his wrist in a surprisingly firm grip.

“Tony...don't go. I need to tell you something.” he stuttered, successfully stopping him from leaving.

“Don't torture yourself, save your strength whatever it is, it can wait.”

By the sad, pleading look in those ocean eyes, he knew that he had to listen to whatever had to be said.

“There's not much time. I don't have a lot...tell Wong that the danger is gone..” his brows furrowed in concentration as his hand reached to hover over Tony's cheek. 

“I...before...” 

Suddenly Tony felt a his insides freeze, knowing what Stephen wanted to say, but not wanting to hear it, especially when it sounded like a goodbye.

“Don't...Stephen don't.” 

Then he gently took the sorcerer's shaky hands in his own, flinching at how cold they were while trying to will his tears away.

“Just hang in there. Wong will heal you.”

It seemed that his words fell on deaf ears as Stephen spoke, his voice calm and determined.

 

“The night has a thousand eyes

And the day but one

Yet the light of the bright world dies

With the dying sun.”

 

He was reciting the poem with such longing and affection that Tony wondered how he hadn't noticed that tone before. 

That was his confession and it hit so hard, his heart skipped a beat as a new terrible thought flew across his mind. 

He was going to lose the man he loved.

There was no doubt about his feelings anymore, Tony's heart was breaking, yet he had to say the next few lines back. 

He had to even if it rendered him mute for the rest of his life, Stephen had to know that his feelings were returned. 

 

“The mind has a thousand eyes

And the heart but one

Yet the light of a whole life dies

When love is done.”

 

The moment the last word passed through his dry lips he saw Stephen's eyes widen in disbelief.

Gently he lifted one of the sorcerer's hands to his lips and pressed a soft kiss on the palm.

“Sorry for taking me too long to see it. Please...” he begged for something he couldn't even name himself.

“I'm sorry love. For no telling you sooner.”

“It's alright, it's alright. Tell me what to do ? Tell me what you need ?” he whispered, his gaze never leaving Stephen's face.

“Can you hold me? I wanna...” 

He didn't wait to be asked twice. Immediately he pulled the sorcerer in his lap, and wrapped his arms around him in a desperate embrace.

Shaking hands sneaked around his waist as Stephen pressed himself into his chest just as desperately.

“Love you.” was whispered in Tony's collarbone so softly that he would have missed it if his whole attention wasn't on him.

A flashback of their time on Titan crashed through the genius and he clutched him tightly in a futile attempt to keep him there as tears freely rained down his face.

So he threw every caution in the air and started talking,

“Love you too sweetheart. I love you so much, don't doubt that and don't forget it.” he pressed few frantic kisses on Stephen's head.

Then the sorcerer in his arms slightly pulled away followed by a pained groan and Tony felt chilly hands wiping his tears before he was kissed so lovingly his didn't want it to end. 

They held each other as close as possible, whispering sweet words as the their future was disappearing like dust on the wind.

Tony's senses noticed the moment Stephen's body went completely still, but he refused to let go, repeating the poem over and over until exhaustion pulled him under.

 

_ Yet the light of a whole life dies _

_ W _ _ hen love is done. _

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry.  
> I got the idea from a poem, that wouldn't leave my mind, did I made it justice...I have no idea, I have rewritten this one a few times and this is the last time I do it. Maybe I'll write a happy one based on it, if inspiration hits.  
> This is that poem 
> 
> The Night Has a Thousand Eyes  
> Francis William Bourdillon (b. 1852)
> 
> THE NIGHT has a thousand eyes,  
> And the day but one;  
> Yet the light of the bright world dies  
> With the dying sun. 
> 
> The mind has a thousand eyes,  
> And the heart but one;  
> Yet the light of a whole life dies  
> When love is done. 
> 
>  
> 
> Anyways sorry for making you sad, thanks for reading and you're more than welcome to scold me for that.


End file.
